Broken Hearts and Shattered Souls
by Li the Twilight Knight
Summary: Written two years ago as a theory for BBS, using all the clues available at the time. This is the story of the Chasers and their battles before Kingdom Hearts began, re-edited to fix some errors, and to show that I got the most important detail right!
1. Summon

**Chapter One: Summon**

The voice, the all-powerful voice, boomed from the confines of the dark. They knelt together, the four Chosen, awaiting the task that they had been summoned for.

_Chosen of your worlds. Children of the Four Directions. You have been brought here this day to serve a higher calling. The period of strife is ended, for now. The War has finished. And now you four shall rise above, becoming new Knights of the Heart._

Light glowed high above the heads of the four. They stared at it in wonder, as it spiraled down around them, crafting armor effortlessly from air. Keyblades formed, familiar weights in their hands.

"There will be no Dive to the Heart?" one, the girl, dared to ask.

The voice boomed its' reply._ There is no reason, now. You have experienced the Dive once before. The Rift has formed, and time is of the essence. You four shall be the Chasers, my Knights in the worlds._

The voice began to address each in turn. To the dark-haired man, oldest of the four, it said, _Terra__, loyal and trustworthy leader, I gift to you the powers of Dawn._ Terra felt the power flow into him, and watched a jewel of the palest pink and gold fade into being on the hilt of his Keyblade. He turned dark blue eyes streaked with gold upon his companions, before saying, "I accept the responsibility of this power."

The next was a merely a boy compared to Terra, with unruly blond hair and clear blue eyes. The voice spoke. _Ven, compassionate and dedicated warrior, I gift to you the powers of Light._ Ven watched the pale blue jewel appear on his Keyblade. "Yes, of course."

The girl was next, blue-haired with smoky grey-blue eyes. She trembled slightly as the Voice boomed, _Aqua, kind and caring friend, I gift to you the powers of Twilight._ A jewel of mingling purples, oranges, golds, and blues completed her Keyblade, and she said, with slight hesitation, "So much responsibility… I shall do my best." Ven looked over, smiling encouragingly at her, and she smiled back in turn.

Finally, the Voice reached the final Chaser. _Xehanort, calm and collected tactician, I gift to you the powers of Dusk._ A gem of dark violets and blacks sealed his powers as well, and he smiled. "As you command."

_Now. You all have been granted the powers of the four disciplines of Light. Let no darkness come upon you. Let no wickedness reach the Kingdom as you guard it. Let no evil take root in your hearts._

"For Kingdom Hearts." Terra said quietly.

The others repeated the oath as they stood. "For Kingdom Hearts." Each bowed once, and they left the room, preparing to face their new destiny as the second generation of Knights of the Heart.

* * *

So, after much consideration, I decided to go back and fix this story up. It's wrong, obviously. It was written too far before any real details became specific, so it's all speculation from Final Mix and the two secret ending videos. I wish I'd known about Vanitas when this was written. I love him.

Anyway, this is just to have this up and with the correct names. It also fits as the backstory to the Alternate Continuity that Aki and I roleplay in: the Blue Notebook Universe. I'll have the role-play up here eventually, but for now, you'll have to be content with this semi-prequel. XD

Li


	2. War

**Chapter Two: War**

_Flames, flashes of light blinding, magic arcing through the night…_

_Screams of the dying, the changed, and the wounded…_

_The blood-covered body of…_

"NO!"

Aqua sat up in bed with a scream. She looked around wildly for a moment, realizing she was in her room, and sighed. Hugging her pillow tightly to herself, she fought to calm her frazzled nerves.

The door banged open to admit a very worried Ven. "Aqua! Aqua, are you all right?" He came over, peering into her stormy blue-grey eyes.

"Yes…"

Ven sat down on the bed beside her, drawing her into the circle of his arms. "Another nightmare?" She nodded weakly against his collarbone, closing her eyes. He cursed softly. Here in this… well, too grand to be called a mere house. It was more of a mansion, or even castle. The four Chasers lived there together, when they weren't off retaining the balance of the worlds or whatever. Aqua had been having nightmares of the War now for several nights, and Ven and the others were beginning to worry.

Aqua glanced at the armor on its' stand in the corner, confirming to herself yet again that the events of a week ago had indeed happened. She settled in close to Ven, trying to get the images from her mind.

"Talking will help." Ven said soothingly. "What was this one?"

Aqua shuddered. "Just, in general, the violence, the dying, the blood and those heartless things… And… You. You were lying there dead…" Her voice cracked, and she buried her face in his chest, crying. Ven sighed, rubbing her back comfortingly. It was too much for any of them to go through. The Keyblade War had been a terrible thing. The worst in all history…

Ven couldn't even remember the exact reason it had started. There had always been keybearers, as long as there had been a Kingdom Hearts. They had each had talent in one of the four disciplines: Light, Dawn, Twilight, and Dusk. Young and old alike, the Strong Hearts of the individual worlds came together, to defend the Kingdom and protect for the future.

But one day, that all changed. The Keybladers of Dusk betrayed them, tempted by the Darkness that they were all charged to defend against. A great battle had been fought on the Horizon Plains, and eventually, nearly all of the Keybladers had fallen. Just as there had never been a worse war in all history, never had there been such a great loss of life either. The remaining Keybladers slipped away to live in hiding, some from the light, and some from the dark. Aqua, Ven, Terra, and Xehanort had been chosen from those remaining on the Light side, to combat what was left of the Dark.

The door opened again, this time revealing Xehanort. He focused his golden eyes on them, asking quietly, "Is she all right?"

"Nightmare." Ven replied. Xehanort nodded.

"I'll let Terra know. He's down there fretting. He can be so… mother-ish sometimes. You know?" Xehanort grinned and left the room, obviously hurrying to find their unofficial leader. Ven blinked at him. He knew Xehanort cared for Aqua, and tried to be as unobtrusive about it as possible. To be perfectly honest, Ven himself cared for Aqua too. But it was obvious that she preferred him to the mysterious, often brooding Chaser of Dusk. It was a wonder that they had not yet come to blows over it, but somehow both knew that Aqua would disapprove.

Aqua detangled herself from Ven's embrace, sitting back and wiping her tears. "I feel silly." she said softly.

"No." Ven protested. "It's fine. Nightmares can be scary, especially about the War." Somehow, some way, they had survived that final, hideous battle. Four battered Keybladers, really no more than children, hiding in an alcove in one of the many rock formations. They had watched, as before their little shelter, others fought, fell, and perished, or suffered a fate worse than death by being turned to one of those black shadows.

"Thanks, Ven…" Aqua murmured. He smiled, leaning over and giving her a light kiss on the cheek.

"Anytime, Aqua. Now go back to bed. It's far too early to be up!"

* * *

When I wrote this, I pictured Aqua and Ven as the same age. How wrong was I? XD

Still editing. Now that I look at it, this doesn't seem very good to me... Oh well.


	3. Memorial

**Chapter Three: Memorial**

Terra stood in the center of a narrow pathway, surrounded on either side by the fallen forms of Keyblades. They formed a crossroads in the dusty center of the Horizon Plains. Terra stood to the east, watching the others coming.

Aqua came from the path to the west, sunlight glinting off of her helmet. Ven came from the north, and Xehanort from the south. Together they walked to the center of the crossroad, driving their Keyblades into the ground and looking up at the sky.

It was ritual. As Chasers, the final remaining Keybladers truly in service to Kingdom Hearts, they were required each year on the anniversary of the last great Battle to come and pay respects to the fallen. They knelt, taking their Keyblades back, and walked back in the four separate directions. Under their helmets, it was impossible to tell their individual expressions, but it was obvious that Terra was somber, Aqua was crying, Ven was attempting to put on a blank face, and Xehanort was trying to maintain calm.

When they met back at their home later, they all sat around one of the living rooms, just thinking and reminiscing.

"I wish we didn't have to do that." Ven said.

Terra shook his head. "It is our duty, based from the responsibilities we were given." He didn't want to put the younger ones through it. They suffered badly enough as it was, especially Aqua with her nightmares. But it was required of them to bear the memory of the past gone wrong, so that they could prevent it from ever happening again. "It gives me no pleasure to have you three go through the ritual. If it were up to me, I would not do it. But it isn't up to me."

"We know, Terra." Xehanort said. "It's fine. We'll just have to endure. That's part of being a Chaser, right?"

Terra nodded, though his heart wasn't in it, and sighed. He watched Aqua go over to sit with Ven, and saw the faintly jealous look Xehanort wore as he noticed. This would not go well in the future unless they watched out. Dissent among their ranks was not something that they needed. He knew that Aqua would never want to break up the four, but he decided to watch Ven and Xehanort closely. They were both too strong-willed to leave unobserved. After all, jealousy often led to betrayal…


	4. Duty

**Chapter Four: Duty**

Day dawned bright and clear over the brilliant world of Radiant Garden. But unlike other mornings, it did not banish the shadows that the night had brought. The Knights of Radiant Garden were fighting back fiercely, but the shadows kept coming. The Chasers raced down the streets, slaying as many as they could, attempting to save as many knights as possible. They fought their way through, and Terra turned to the other three.

"We'll have to split up!" he cried. "There are too many. We'll save more lives if we go separate ways." The others nodded, turning to go in separate directions.

Ven ran down one of the side streets, killing as many of the heartless shadows as he could. Manifestations of the darkness. That was all they were. He could take them easily. He came upon one of Radiant Garden's knights, fighting at least eight of the things. The knight was as blond as Ven. He raced in, Keyblade swinging, fending off the darkness long enough for the Knight to get a second wind.

"Thank you…" the knight gasped out. "Who are you?"

"I serve the Light." Ven said. "My name is Ven."

"Thank you, Ven. My name is Walian Strife." He seemed to remember something then, looking around frantically. "Dammit! Cloud!"

"What?" Ven asked, puzzled.

"My son, Cloud… My wife, Freya… Cloud's only a year old. I have to get back and help them…"

"Be careful." Ven said. "Those things could come back."

"Yes, thank you." Walian hurried off to see to his wife and son. Ven continued on, saving several more knights and more civilians. He met up with Xehanort in a courtyard. The silver-headed Chaser was fighting several of the shadows, though these had little helmets and some small pieces of armor. It was obvious that they were the same thing as the others, just a different type.

"I'm going to head for the castle!" Xehanort called. "Aqua's in the Bailey, and Terra's going to the Ravine Trail." Ven nodded, and Xehanort headed for the Castle. Ven turned, gracefully slicing through another wave of shadows, before seeing a figure out of the corner of his eye.

A woman stood, huddling under the shadow of an arch. She clutched a very young child, about a year old, in her arms. Another brown-headed boy of about four was hiding behind her. Ven raced over to them. "What are you doing? It's not safe here!"

"I was waiting for my husband…" she whispered.

Ven glanced down at the child in her arms. Wispy blond locks covered his head, as he smiled in a very babyish way at the Chaser of Light. "Then your husband is Walian Strife? He's on his way to find you. You cannot stay here. I'll take you to safety. My name is Ven." He reached down and took the other child by the hand, and beckoned her to follow him.

"I am Freya Strife. Thank you so much." she said gratefully. "This is my baby, Cloud, and General Loire's son Squall. I was watching him when the attack hit."

"Pleased to meet you. Let's hurry, before more shadows come."

He took them up to the castle's main gate. "Xehanort!" he called. The other Chaser looked around a corner. "Is the castle secure?"

"Yeah, for the most part. All that's really left are the ones in the town." He looked to Freya, following Ven closely, and asked, "Civilian?"

"Yeah. Will you see that she gets to safety? I'm going to go find her husband." Xehanort nodded, and Ven hurried back out into the fray. After several minutes of searching, he found Walian on the main street, looking sick with worry.

"Ven!" the man called when he spotted the Chaser.

Ven ran to him, saying quickly, "Freya and Cloud are at the castle. Come on!" He literally dragged the man back up the street, not stopping until he reached the gates. Xehanort saw him coming and grinned. He beckoned, and they followed him to the castle library, where Freya waited with Cloud, Squall, and another woman that Ven assumed was Squall's mother.

Walian embraced Freya gratefully. The relief that he saw in the man's eyes made Ven realize for the first time why they were Chasers. If there was no one around to protect these people… Beside him, Xehanort was smiling. Ven glanced at him. Their eyes met, and for a moment, they were no longer rivals. They were partners, happy for a job well done.

Freya beckoned to them, and they came over. Ven looked down at Cloud, who had gone to sleep in all the excitement. He brushed back a fallen lock of hair from the one-year-old's forehead, and inhaled sharply at the spike of power that coursed through his fingertips. This child was a newborn Strong Heart. Ven frowned slightly, unnoticeably. He would go through much hardship in his life for that. Chances were, he would never lay hands upon a Keyblade, but darkness would attempt to prey on him all his life. He saw Xehanort's curious glance, and mouthed, _Later._

When all the shadows had been purged, the four Chasers met in the Bailey, happy to be finished. Terra took in the looks on both Ven and Xehanort's faces and asked warily, "Why do you both look so… content?"

"I think we finally discovered why we do this." Xehanort said. Terra raised an eyebrow, and both boys eagerly launched into the tale of what had occurred with the Strife family. When they were done, Terra looked proud.

"You understand now." he said. It was the closest he would get to simply cheering in triumph.

"That's not all, Terra." Ven said. "The son… Cloud… He's the Strong Heart."

"Are you certain?"

"Yeah, he had the aura of power like we do." Ven blinked. "Is that bad?"

"No." Terra looked around at the cozy town and the magnificent castle of Radiant Garden. "It's a hope for the future."

* * *

I suppose this serves as Cloud and Leon's missed appearance from BBS. 8D For the record, BBS is ten years before the first KH. This story was set at a guess of twenty years difference, so ages and timelines are slightly off.

Li


	5. Encounter

**Chapter Five: Encounter**

Xehanort was sleeping. It was an odd thing for any of the Chasers to sleep for long periods of time, simply because the nightmares of the war never let them rest peacefully. They dozed for stretches at a time, using that and their magic to keep themselves awake enough to keep going. But eventually, one of the four would finally be so tired that they fell into an almost coma-like sleep, so deep that the nightmares couldn't reach. It wasn't that they were afraid to sleep, but they were wary of what they would see if they did.

Ven had been the first. They had been eating lunch one day, and he had looked exhausted. Insisting he was fine, he got up to go back to his room and just collapsed. The others had checked him over, and upon determining he was only sleeping, put him to bed. He slept for three days, and woke up as normal as he had been before. Apparently it was Xehanort's turn to be dead tired. He had gone to sleep on a couch while reading. Aqua had put a blanket over him and left him be, knowing that he would wake up in due time.

But there was a feeling in the mansion-like home that just wouldn't go away, and it was not a pleasant one. Ven and Aqua had excused themselves, Ven to the Destiny Islands and Aqua to Twilight Town, just to escape it. Terra had let them go, choosing to remain alone with the slumbering Dusk Chaser. Something was off, something that had not been there when Ven slept. He felt that he needed to be there, in case something happened. Terra looked out for them. Ven, Aqua, and Xehanort were like younger siblings to him, and he protected them as such. They were all orphans, so they were the only family each other had. If something wanted to threaten Xehanort…

It would have to go through Terra first.

* * *

Xehanort walked through the dark, silently taking in everything of his surroundings. _I'm dreaming…_ The thought struck him as odd. It never occurred to him that he was having a nightmare until he woke up. But this wasn't a nightmare, or so it appeared. He walked through the darkness, calling out, "Is anyone there?"

_**I am here.**_

"Who's there?" Xehanort demanded, calling up his Keyblade, letting the reassuring glow of his violet-and-black gem illuminate some of the blackness. The disembodied voice chuckled.

_**Little Keyblader of Dusk, can you not feel it? Darkness, residing within your heart. Those who stand so close to the edge of the darkness cannot help but stumble in. Twilight is only half-dark, but you of Dusk stand upon the borderline.**_

"Forget it." Xehanort bit out. "Darkness offers nothing. I will not betray the others. I will not betray my family." He turned away from where he thought the voice was coming from, defiantly waving his Keyblade in the air.

_**Do you trust your family?**_ the voice taunted._** Do you trust THEM not to betray YOU? The Chaser of Light is jealous of you, for Darkness is stronger than the Light. He would take the Chaser of Twilight, and she him, and they would forget you in their happiness.**_

"I love Aqua, as a sister and more, and I would not begrudge her happiness." Xehanort said, but he sounded less sure.

_**Dawn favors them above others. He would put them first, for they are closer to his side. Someone of more Darkness than Light will always be put last.**_

"Terra wouldn't…" Xehanort murmured.

_**Can't you see that they secretly have a far closer bond with each other than you? Come into the Darkness, where we will praise you for who you are.**_

"No!" Xehanort cried. He turned and ran blindly away, far off into the darkness. He tripped and went flying, eyes sailing open to find himself on a couch in the library, Aidin sitting across from him reading a book of short stories. "Terra…?"

Terra set down the book, turning happy eyes to Xehanort. "Good, you're awake." He reached over, handing the Dusk Chaser a glass of water that had been sitting on a side table. Xehanort downed it, setting the empty glass back down afterwards.

"How long have I been out?"

"About three days." Terra replied.

"Where are Ven and Aqua?"

"Ven went to Destiny Islands. Aqua went to Twilight Town." Aidin explained. "I felt that they needed a vacation. I wanted to wait for you to wake up. Anywhere you would care to go?"

Xehanort thought for a moment. "There's a place I found, an empty city. It's not there that I particularly like, but the beach attached to the city… The Dark Beach… It's night, but calm, quiet…"

"Show me." Terra said quietly. Xehanort nodded.

* * *

Terra stared out across the dark ocean, amazed by the sight. Black rocks jutted out of the bay, and fine black sand formed a soft seat for them. Xehanort flopped down upon the sand, smiling.

"I like it here." he said. "It calms me, somehow."

Terra glanced at him. He saw the serene expression on his face and wondered. This world was too close to the Darkness for his liking. It worried him, in a way, that Xehanort was so comfortable so close to the Dark. He felt himself grow uneasy despite his desire to show his friend understanding. Standing up, he said quietly, "I'm going to check on Aqua and Ven. Will you be all right here?"

"Yeah." Xehanort said. His voice was tinged with a faint emotion, but Terra nodded and hurried off, invoking his power to summon their Gummi Ship.

Xehanort blinked sadly at the dark-colored sea. Terra really did care more about Ven and Aqua than him. The darkness of this world, and him, scared the Chaser of Dawn away. He found himself growing jealous of Ven, angry at Terra… Terra liked them better. Aqua liked Ven better. Why didn't she show him the same affection she showed Ven? Was she _afraid_ of his darkness? She, who was half-Dark herself!

He forced the emotions away, pushing them to the back of her mind. But they lingered there, smoldering. He forced himself up, when they returned, to greet the laughing Aqua, who gave him a hug, and a smiling Ven, back from their respective world vacations. Terra smiled at him as well, over the heads of the other two. But still, in the back of his mind, he could not shake the feeling that it was all an illusion, and they were fooling him somehow. It was a haunting feeling, and he wondered, maybe the darkness was right after all.

* * *

So the story is edited up to here. If there are name differences beyond this point, that means I haven't gotten to that yet. Now, right now, I need sleep. G'night.

ZZZZZ....  
Li


	6. Glimpse of the Future

**Chapter Six: Glimpse of the Future**

Thunder crashed, lightning cracked across the sky, and it rained buckets upon the home of the Chasers. A miserable, miserable afternoon indeed, which was why they were all crowded in Ven's room, playing cards, eating ice cream, and dripping ice cream on Ven's bed-sheets. Admittedly, none of them were particularly good at Hearts, the game they had chosen to play, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

Aqua took a bite out of her chocolate ice cream bar, studying her cards with an intense expression on her face. She was winning so far, having taken many high cards and no hearts at all. Terra was losing rather pathetically, having gotten every Heart so far. The only card with a negative worth left was the Queen of Spades. Aqua eyed it, as the card in question rested in her own hand. She looked up, watching Ven chomp on his strangely colored ice cream, and cringed. "Ven, how do you eat that stuff?"

"Sea Salt ice cream is amazing!" Ven protested. "What else is salty and then turns into sweet? Besides, it's a cool color."

"Strangely colored ice thing on a stick." Xehanort chuckled. "If you eat too much of that, Ven, you might turn blue." Ven's only response was to childishly stick his tongue out at the other. He laid down his card, a four of Spades, and waited.

Xehanort went next, putting down an eight of Diamonds. Terra scowled at his hand before putting down the King of Clubs. Aqua smirked. She tossed the Queen of Spades on top of the pile, and pushed it towards Terra. "Your trick, Terra."

He rolled his eyes. "Brilliant. Now I have them all. What is that? Negative two hundred?"

"Nothing so dramatic." Xehanort said. "Actually, you just won." He watched as all three of his companions eyed the final hand of the game suspiciously.

"How!?!" Ven demanded, dripping ice cream.

"Terra shot the moon. He got every Heart and the Queen. He gets plus twenty-six."

Aqua groaned. "Shooting the Moon! How could I forget?" She scowled, as each player tossed several hundred munny across the room at him. He grinned, catching it all and pocketing it, saying smugly, "Don't bet against your Leader, children."

"Children!?!" Ven and Aqua cried together. Both leaped at him, as Xehanort called in the background, "You named yourself leader! And you're only a year or two older!" In the ensuing scuffle, Ven's melting Sea Salt ice cream sailed into the air, landing with a wet splat in Terra's hair. Blue dripped down through his long bangs, around his face, and he let out a very undignified yelp.

The scuffle was interrupted by a loud racket downstairs. All of the Chasers immediately were on their feet. Their home had never been attacked, but it was always a distinct possibility. They crept downstairs, carefully being silent, and stopped at the sight. A seventeen year old boy stood in the center of their foyer, dripping water all over the plush carpet. His hair was ink-black, and he stared up at them in confusion.

"Where am I? Who are you?" he demanded. Terra stepped forward, Keyblade held loosely at his side and ignoring the ice cream still in his hair, he addressed the boy sternly, "This is our home. Who are you?"

"My name is Braig." the boy hissed. He shivered, looking around.

Terra sighed. "I am Terra. This is Ven, Aqua, and Xehanort." Aqua came towards Braig, putting a blanket around his shoulders. He accepted it gratefully, still nervous around them. But as he started to warm up, and began to think clearly, he could see that they made for a very funny picture indeed. Terra, with pale blue melted into his hair, wearing just pants and a shirt covered in chocolate smears from Aqua attacking him with her ice cream stick. Ven in pajamas covered in clouds, his hair a mess. Aqua with grey pajamas and, unknown to her, cards stuck to her back from where she'd rolled on them. Xehanort looking the most collected, except for strawberry ice cream that had somehow gotten into his eyebrows. Braig began to laugh, finally seeming to accept their hospitality.

Upon questioning him, they realized he was a year younger than Ven, Xehanort, and Aqua, and he was an orphan. He was off to make his fortune in the world as a sharpshooter. During the time he stayed with them, he became close to Xehanort, getting along well with him. He had been shocked to learn that the scruffy, ice-cream-covered people he had met were actually Chasers, the guardians of the entire multiverse and Kingdom Hearts against the darkness. He had found that unexplainably hilarious.

When Braig finally bid them goodbye, he promised to remember them, and come back and visit. Terra, without a real reason why, found himself wondering if the sharpshooter would ever get the chance.

* * *

Hehe, they're playing 'Hearts'. Believe it or not, I did that by accident.

Li


	7. Alone

**Chapter Seven: Alone**

_Infinite darkness, don't tell me you can't see it. You don't care about me, though. I'm walking on the brink and you just laugh and carry on. You don't see my pain… how much I hurt… you don't see… Just like the War… I see now… Our kingdom should have known better than to trust another Dusk wielder. It's a repeat of before and I cannot stop it because you all set it in motion, not me. They accept me, they want me where you ignore me, they don't give a DAMN about whether I'm more than half-Dark… Aqua, Aqua, Aqua, Twilight child, can't you see what the Darkness has done to me? You walk the line between Light and Dark, but still are half-Light and resist its' pull. Terra bears the littlest Darkness of us all, for those who have it, only a shadow tainting his Dawn. And pure-hearted Ven, born a girl he would be a Princess, but instead is the strongest heart of all… I see now, I will forsake my Light and dive into the darkest night…Where I will be accepted for my Darkness…_

_I know what I must do…_


	8. Fall

**Chapter Eight: Fall**

Something was wrong.

Ven could sense that much, coming up the path to their home. He had gone to Disney Castle to see its' construction, aiding in protecting it, temporarily. It had seemed to be the work of a rogue Dusk Keyblader, turned Dark from after the War. Disney hadn't been hard to protect, but when the presence had simply vanished, Ven felt himself grow uneasy. He was reaching for the doorknob when the cry hit him.

_**Our Knights!**_

Ven swayed, gripping the doorknob. The voice of Kingdom Hearts itself, a thousand million hearts all calling at once to their Chaser of Light. The Kingdom rarely spoke to them directly, but in times of great emergency it would. Ven reeled as the voices assaulted him once more, all crying out as one.

_**Cursed one! Betrayer! Darkling thing! Forbid we to allow him a hand in our Chasers! Take not one, for the others suffer!**_

Ven concentrated, shrieking his thought as loudly as he could. _What has happened!?! Tell me!_

The voices of Kingdom Hearts wailed and moaned, lamenting an event Ven did not know of yet. But when the words hit him, he could only freeze in shocked horror.

_**He had distracted our Light, that Twilight and Dawn may fall to Dusk…**_

Ven gasped. Terra! Aqua! And… Xehanort.

He threw the door open, racing inside and up the sweeping stairs, hurling open the door to Terra's room and stopping in horror at the scene. Xehanort stood with his Keyblade pointed at Terra's throat, staring across the room at a frightened Aqua. She clutched her Twilight Keyblade close to her, but seemed reluctant to use it. Ven could see why. In the split second of time that he had, he brought his own blade against Xehanort's, knocking it across the room.

Xehanort turned to him, a quiet snarl coming from his lips. He moved as if to go for his Keyblade, but shifted his weight at the last second and lunged at Ven instead. His Keyblade appeared in his hand, and he pressed the dull side of the blade against Ven's neck, pinning him to the wall.

"Xehanort!" Aqua cried, shocked. "What…? Why are you doing this!?!"

"All of you continue to betray me! You fear me and my darkness! You avoid me and find comfort in each other instead!" the Chaser of Dusk ranted. "Well, I'm leaving! I'm going to the people who will accept me for who I am!"

"Xehanort!" Terra stood, putting as much command, as well as understanding, into his voice as he could. "Xehanort, don't do this. Don't you see? This is what caused the War to begin with!" He made to step towards the silver-headed teen, but Xehanort only forced the Keyblade harder against Ven's throat. Terra stopped, seeing in Xehanort's eyes what he would do, and tried again. "Please… We don't want to lose you to the Darkness."

Xehanort's golden eyes cleared for a moment, and he loosened his Keyblade, letting Ven slump to the floor. But then they darkened over again, and he turned to the door and ran.

The others pursued him, catching up just as he reached the door.

"Don't leave us!" Ven yelled desperately. "Let us help you!"

Xehanort fixed him with an icy glare. "I hope you and Aqua are very happy, Ven… For the time you have left, anyway." He opened the door and sprinted out into the dark night, and Ven suddenly realized what part of the problem was.

"Xehanort! I don't love her like that! She's my sister, nothing more! SHE LIKED YOU, YOU IDIOT!!!" But Xehanort was too far away to hear, fading into the night like the shadows he would soon command. Aqua hugged Ven, burying her face into his shoulder as she cried.

"I cannot love him, betraying us like that…" she sobbed. "He thinks we…"

"I know…" Ven soothed quietly. "I know…"

Terra walked over and embraced them both, blinking back tears of his own. They stared off into the distance, thinking that they should have seen this coming, but hadn't. It wasn't Xehanort, they all knew, but the Darkness that had gotten into his heart. He was hurting, but they didn't know how to help him. All they could do now was wait and see what would come to pass.

xXx

Xehanort walked slowly into the darkened room. His eyes scanned the shadows, and he stepped back as a figure came from the darkness. Kneeling, he murmured, "I am here… But… They seemed genuinely upset, to see me leave…"

"More illusions." The man before him was dressed in red and black, his head was bald, and his eyes pierced all whom he looked at like they could see into your soul. He carried an elaborate Keyblade that hummed with dark energy. "They continue to play you false, as they have all this time."

"Yes…" Xehanort whispered. "Master."


	9. Grief

**Chapter Nine: Grief**

It was a difficult week for the remaining three Chasers. Kingdom Hearts had withdrawn from them entirely, to give them time to recover from the loss of their comrade. Aqua, aided by Ven and crying a lot, explained to Terra what had been going on between the three of them. Xehanort had loved Aqua, but thought that she was in love with Ven. Ven and Aqua had been friends before the War and had developed a brother-sister relationship. Aqua had liked Xehanort, but was too shy to say anything. It had become some sort of love triangle, from Xehanort's point of view, at least. But Aqua's feelings had shattered when the Chaser of Dusk betrayed them. She could not love him, knowing what he had done.

Terra had taken all of it in stride, sighing in frustration at the rift that had formed between the younger Knights. He felt somehow responsible for Xehanort's fall into Darkness, and was hit hard. He had become more brooding, often sitting around and doing nothing. Aqua cried often, and Ven, of course, tried to comfort her.

It was one such day, the fourth since it had happened, that they finally decided that they had to talk about it. They gathered in the living room, hot chocolate in hand, to try and come to terms with it.

"So…" Terra said, looking at the other two. "What do we do now?"

"We keep going." Ven said. "It was his choice to leave us; to listen to the Darkness instead. What else can we do?"

Aqua, seated against Terra's side, looked thoroughly miserable. He put an arm around her and continued. "One thing is bothering me. Why did he say 'I hope you're happy for the time you have left'?" He stared into his drink. "Something's coming, soon."

"Whoever took him from us… They will try to destroy us." Aqua murmured. Terra and Ven looked surprised for a moment, then nodded. "There's nothing else that could make sense to happen."

"I agree." Ven said. "Darkness would not seduce one of our own and then just leave us be."

"So we have to be ready for anything." Terra declared. "Xehanort is dead to us, do you understand? We cannot dwell on what he has done. We have a job to do." His voice grew soft. "We are still a family. We'll get through this."

And they all knew that, though they would have to prepare for the day that the Darkness returned for them, they would be able to handle whatever came their way. Because they were the Chasers. The Knights of the Heart. And they were family.

* * *

I can't help but keep looking at how off I was. O.o Not to mention the fact that this is nowhere near my best writing... ugh. I am proud of next chapter, though!

Li


	10. Sunset Horizons

**Chapter Ten: Sunset Horizons**

It was a familiar ritual. Terra stood to the east on the crossroad paths of the Horizon Plains, watching for a moment the way the sun reflected the dry, dusty landscape. It had been nearly a year since… well… They didn't talk of it much. It was as he had said: the Chaser of Dusk was dead to them.

Terra turned, seeing Ven coming from the north, and Aqua from the west. Just like every time they had to go through this foolish memorial. All it served to do was dredge up painful memories that none of them wanted to think about. As if would ever be possible to FORGET the War. Like it never happened… But the Kingdom insisted, and so they did. Terra fell into step, walking to the center of the crossroads with the others. For a long moment, they simply stood, staring up into the sky as the silhouettes of the fallen Keyblades stood dark all around them. It was the first time that they had ever undergone the memorial without…

The wind picked up, stirring the Chasers' capes and whipping the dust of the plains into the air. Something was unnatural about this wind, though. They could all tell.

"Do you feel it?" Aqua whispered.

"Darkness." Terra said flatly. As one, they looked to the southern path, the road to Dusk, and watched. A dark figure materialized out of the swirling dusk. It was an old man, bald, dressed in a coat of red and black that fluttered behind him. His eyes glowed a terrifying golden color. As they watched, his form seemed to shimmer, becoming two, before the copy grew thinner, more agile. This person wore a skintight black outfit, highlighting lean muscles, with an intricate red design across the chest. A helmet similar to, yet differing from, those worn by the Chasers hid his face and head from view. He carried a Keyblade bearing a black and violet jewel on the hilt. And suddenly, from the Keyblade, the way he strode towards them, and the emotion he gave off, they knew who he was.

"Xehanort." Ven growled, spitting out the name like a poisonous thing. He started to move forward, his own Keyblade at the ready, but Terra grabbed Ven's shoulder, pushing him back and running forward himself. He felt responsible, mostly, for Xehanort's fall into Darkness, and he would be damned before he allowed either him or his darkling master to hurt the others. He raced forward, determined to end the nightmare. Xehanort had said he would return, in so many words, but they weren't going to lie down and die without a fight.

The old man raised a hand, making a simple gesture as Terra leaped towards them. The earth itself responded, rising up to create a plateau where there had not been one before. It caught Terra mid-leap, leaving the Chaser of Dawn to sprawl across the unforgiving ground and stare as the Dark One and Xehanort rose higher on another plateau. Xehanort leaped from the top, casting a thunder spell as he fell that caught Terra completely unguarded. Staggering beneath the pain, he was barely conscious of Ven racing by him, running to pursue the one that he blamed for all their misery. He looked up, locking eyes with the Dark One for a moment before racing after Ven.

The Dark One made another gesture, fingers spread stiffly, calling on his power. The Keyblades that had rested in the ground for years rose up upon his command, coiling into the air like a twisted snake. Ven and Xehanort ignored it, too absorbed in their own duel, Keyblades flashing in the dim light. The sun had since gone down, and dark clouds were thick across the sky. Xehanort hurled a blizzard spell, and Ven barely had time to dodge the frigid attack.

Aqua raced along beside them, stopping for only the briefest moment at the roar she heard behind her. She looked up, seeing the stream of Keyblades coming at them, and cried in warning, "Ven!"

Ven leaped to the side and back to avoid the rush, but Xehanort flipped into the air and landed on one of the Keyblades, riding it easily. He slung another blizzard spell, this time at Aqua, calling with a mocking laugh, "Did you all miss me?" Ven dashed up beside her, as Xehanort leapt, once again demonstrating superior acrobatics, to land running on the opposite side of the Keyblades. Ven attempted to follow him, but was hit, and landed on the ground in a rough tumble. Xehanort laughed, a chilling sound, and cast blizzard again. Aqua dodged, letting the ice impact the wall of earth that had risen from the Dark One's meddling. Ven regained his composure, casting a frantic thunder at Xehanort, but the former Dusk Chaser merely leaped back to the Keyblades he had so easily ridden before, letting the trail of them bear him back up into the sky.

The beginning of that line crashed into Terra, who stumbled back from the force of the blow and fell from the side of the plateau he had been running along, attempting to reach the Dark One and bring this fight to a quick end. From below, Aqua watched as he attempted to use his Keyblade to slow his fall, not noticing as the possessed Keyblades curved around to strike her just as the ground below her feet surged up. She fell through the storm of Keyblades, hitting the ground with an audible metallic clash.

Ven was at her side in an instant. "Aqua! Are you okay?" She didn't respond at first, raising her Keyblade and firing an arc of light into the sky. That done, she looked at Ven, a small smile on her face.

"Never better." The faintest tinge of sarcasm laced her words, but she genuinely smiled.

The beam of light shot up, forming a glowing blue shield around Terra and slowing his fall. It came just in time, because the unrelenting Keyblades impacted the shield only a moment later, driving it higher into the sky. The Keyblades froze, like a twisted tree, and the shield exploded outwards. The Dark One's golden eyes sparkled, seemingly thrilled by the display of power.

As Aqua continued to stare upwards, her helmet shattered and gone from hitting the ground so hard, Ven dashed off to find a way up to help Terra. The Chaser of Dawn had landed rolling on the plateau, getting to his feet and running at the Dark One. Xehanort's "master" pulled out his own Keyblade, deflecting each of Terra's strikes. They exchanged blows for a long moment, before the Dark One got in a blizzard spell and sent Terra flying backwards.

He looked down at his arm, where ice was slowly creeping its' way over the armored gauntlet towards his shoulder. The bottom of his helmet had cracked off from hitting the ground one too many times, and one could see his mouth curled into something akin to a snarl as he looked back up. Dark blue eyes met golden through his helmet, and the Dark One smirked.

Terra struggled to get to his feet again, but froze as Ven came into view, making a daring leap at the one still gloating over Terra's fall. Terra thought for a moment that Ven's Keyblade would connect, but suddenly the Dark One simply was not there. He reappeared behind Ven, catching the Chaser of Light by his helmet. Terra hissed, attempted to force himself up to aid the boy, but could not. Ven struggled violently, kicking back and forth, but couldn't escape the grasping hold on his helmet.

The Dark One gripped tighter, causing the helmet to crack. Ven let out a pained cry, and Terra gasped. This man, monster, whoever he was… He was _strong_. Ven's struggles ceased, and he hung limply in the villain's grasp. From what Terra could see, where the armor over the blond's eye had fallen away, Ven had a single tear trailing down his cheek. Terra could read his thoughts in his cerulean eyes as clearly as if he had been speaking aloud: _I'm afraid. I don't want to die…Help me…Please…_

Xehanort landed on the plateau next to his master, Keyblade held loosely. Inside his helmet, his eyes narrowed, and he made a faint gesture. The snake of fallen Keyblades roared up and across the plateau, hitting Terra dead on and knocking him over the side.

Below, Aqua could only watch in horror as more pieces of Ven's helmet fell away. "Ven!" She screamed his name desperately, as though if she screamed loud enough and long enough, he would be okay, he wouldn't be… It was always Ven, her surrogate brother, who was there to comfort her when things went badly. But when he was the one in trouble, the one possibly _dying_, what could she do? Her eyes met his, and she could see in them what he couldn't say: _I'm sorry._ "VEN!!!"

Dark fire erupted around him, followed by a spell powerful enough to be Blizzaga. The Chaser of Light froze, his entire form shrouded in ice. The Dark One looked pleased, in a wicked way, before casually throwing him over the side of the plateau.

Aqua screamed. Ven fell, his Keyblade and the remainder of his helmet shattering as he bounced off the side of the plateau. She dove and caught him before he hit the ground, cradling him in her lap as she peered worriedly into his eyes. They still had light in them. He wasn't dead.

The Dark One sent away his Keyblade. With Xehanort at his side, he called on magic that was from his time as a Dusk Keyblader before the War. Raising a hand to the sky, he cast the spell, and the clouds began to swirl, before opening up a hole to the night sky and revealing the glorious moon that was Kingdom Hearts. Aqua, still clutching Ven tightly, watched in horror as it was revealed. Terra, from where he had landed, forced himself up. He ripped off what was left of his broken helmet, staring up at Kingdom Hearts furiously. His eyes flashed gold, with the one thought in his mind.

**_They had failed._**

xXx

Miles away from where the Chasers were, a small figure stood on a cliff, watching Kingdom Hearts appear in the sky. The young King Mickey of Disney looked worried and angry as he thought of what his mentor, Yen Sid, had told him.

_You are the Strong Heart of Disney. Strong Hearts are gifted a Keyblade by Kingdom Hearts to defend it. There are now only three. I do not know why, but I will give you this. A new time is dawning, and the worlds will have need of the strength of all the Strong Hearts._

He sighed unhappily. His castle, long under construction, was at last complete. He remembered the young man, the Knight who called himself a Chaser that Minnie had told him about. He had come to defend the final stages of building from some strange darkness. Mickey gripped his Keyblade, the Star Seeker, tightly. Something was coming, something so horrible it might rival the Keyblade War that Yen Sid had taught him of. But he would be ready. He was the first of the Third Generation of Keybladers. And he would stand firm until the very end.

I have to laugh that this chapter is three or four times as long as any other. Heh. I did a pretty good job interpreting this for having no real information. XD

This is as far as I'm editing for now. The last five chapters will be done when I don't have to read a 500 page book by morning.

Li


	11. Wounded

**Chapter Eleven: Wounded**

"Hurry!"

It was all Liah could do to keep up as Aidin barked the order. He never ordered them around. He was never harsh. But now his voice grated with urgency and something else. Something Liah never thought she would see in their almost-leader. It was fear.

She hurried to keep up, supporting Ven's feet as they ran for the safety of their house. It was shielded against the dark powers, so they would be safe there. Aidin, his arms wrapped around Ven's midsection, called on his power to open the door ahead of them. Sprinting into the entrance hall, they slammed the doors behind them and set Ven gently on the floor, panting from exertion.

Something slammed into the door with colossal force, but it held. They could hear howling and wailing all around as the darkness sought entrance, but the protections on their home stood firm, and after a time, the darkness went away. Aidin breathed a sigh of relief, and sat down to finish thawing Ven. He and Liah had only had enough time to unfreeze him just enough to carry before being forced to flee. Now, they had to thaw him the rest of the way, and quickly, or he could die.

Aidin called up a fire spell, making it as cool as he could while still being able to melt the ice. He didn't want to burn Ven by accident. As soon as the ice on his face began to melt away, he shook his head, whimpering slightly.

"Aidin? I'm cold… What happened…?" he asked, confused. Liah squealed with happiness and hugged him, only confusing him more.

"You were frozen by Blizzaga cast by that man." Aidin explained. "Be still." Ven complied, letting Aidin finish, and then sat up.

"I don't… feel… well…" he mumbled thickly, before slumping unconscious. Aidin caught him, lifting him into his arms easily.

"What's wrong with him?" Liah asked, her eyes filling with tears at seeing her 'brother' in such a state.

"Probably too rapid a change in body temperature. He was too cold, too long." Aidin said softly. He carried the currently-comatose Light Chaser up to his room, followed by a concerned Liah. He proceeded to tuck him in bed with plenty of thick blankets. "He'll be okay in a few days. He just needs sleep and some time to readjust." He turned back to Liah. "Let me see your injuries." Liah had almost forgotten that she was hurt too. To remind her, the pain in her ribs that had vanished in the urgency of saving Ven returned doubled. She sank into a chair, wincing as she willed her armor away. Aidin knelt beside her, pressing his palm to her side. She hissed and flinched away, and he grinned. "Cracked rib. Let me bandage it?"

Liah nodded, and Aidin left to find the bandages. She found herself staring at Ven, wondering what they had done that warranted them all being hurt so badly. Why was it they who had to suffer? When Aidin returned, tears had formed, unshed from earlier, and she said in a choked voice, "I don't want to be a Chaser anymore."

Aidin began carefully wrapping her ribs, asking only, "Why?"

"Too many people close to me get hurt! Next time it'll be you! Or… Or one of you could… Could get killed…" Liah said, sobbing quietly. "No more pain, please, Aidin?"

Aidin was silent for a long moment, entirely focused on his task. When he did speak, he murmured, barely audible, "I do not want this for you or Ven, but it is not my choice to make." He tied off the bandage, setting it aside. "The Kingdom commands it. We cannot renounce the Keyblades." Liah slid out of the chair to sit in his lap, crying into his shoulder. She had great strength, but the events of the day had taken it all from her. There was none left to aid in stopping the flow of tears. He held her tightly, whispering, "We'll get through this, just like everything else. Ven will be fine. I promise."

"How could he hate us so much?" Liah couldn't bring herself to say Xehanort's name. Aidin looked thoughtful

"I don't think he does. I think one day he'll look back at this and say 'Damn, what did I do?'" He stood, pushing Liah up as well. "Go take a nap. I think we all need one."

Liah nodded, heading back in the direction of her room. A gloomy air seemed to hang over their home, both from the sickness of their Light, and the crushing despair consuming Twilight and Dawn. But the suffering for these final Knights of the Heart was far from over. The worst, though they did not know it, was yet to come.

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

I think we all know how this is gonna end. But in one, or possibly two since they're short, chapters, I will have ended the Chaser's part in all this. Then I will go into the games themselves, the clues and secrets hidden there, AKA "Part Two". This now is "Part 1". But in these final one, or two, Chaser chapters, I will be setting up for a major point I want to make later. All I have to say now is, the blue-eyed will suffer, in more ways than one.

Think on that, ne?  
Li


	12. Dying Inside

**Chapter Twelve: Dying Inside**

It was three days before Ven regained consciousness, and by that point Liah was so worried he would never wake up that Aidin had to actually use a spell to put her to sleep, just so that she would stop working herself into a panic. This was how, yet again, Aidin found himself watching over two sleeping Chasers, as Twilight lay curled on the couch like a cat, and Light slept in the next room. He was reading his book silently, trying to focus on anything but the world around him, when the bedroom door opened and Ven poked his head out sleepily.

"Aidin…?" he asked sluggishly. "What happened?"

Aidin patiently got up, forced Ven to sit, made him eat some toast, and explained all of the events that had taken place since the end of the battle. Ven listened intently, cramming toast into his mouth to make up for not eating for three days. When Aidin was done, he mumbled, "I… I was dying, wasn't I?" Not waiting for an answer, he looked up, his eyes wide and fearful, something that Aidin had never seen in the confident boy. "Aidin, are you afraid to die?"

"Ven, why are you asking this? You're fine. Just a little weak. You were very strained from what happened…"

"No!" Ven cried. He looked down at his feet. "Take the Light, save the world, be a knight and a hero… It was like a dream, or a fairytale. It didn't seem real." he whispered. "I never thought that what I was doing was dangerous. I never thought I could get killed. Even during the War, cowering like a scared child, watching everyone else dying around me, it still didn't seem like it could happen to me. Only then, when he had me… the darkling man… I was afraid, Aidin. I fear death, now."

"Ven…" Aidin said gently. "Please…"

"You didn't answer me, Aidin. Are you afraid to die?"

Aidin watched the Chaser of Light for a moment, mulling over his answer. "No." he said finally. Ven looked up at him sharply, and he smiled sadly. "I cannot fear death, Ven. Because every day I'm dying a little inside. Xehanort and what has happened to him, I feel as though it is my fault. You and Liah, I try to protect you and you get hurt anyway. If I cannot save my family, what am I good for? It's like a sickness, and it's eating me alive, Ven, do you see?" He looked away. "It's killing me slowly, everything going wrong. It's making me doubt. You know we are all orphans. You and Liah are the only things I have left in this world. If you two weren't there…" He trailed off, and Ven could hear what he didn't say: _I would have nothing left to live for_.

He was shaking, he noticed then. The Chaser of Light wrapped his arms around himself, glancing at Liah. Aidin's gaze was soft as he watched him. "Ven? Are you all right?"

"Yeah…" Ven said slowly, without much conviction. Aidin saw through the falsehood, but decided it would be best not to discuss it any more.

"I'm going to get some cookies from the kitchen. Stay here in case Liah wakes up, all right?"

Ven nodded, and Aidin left, through reluctantly. Ven curled up on the couch, wrapping himself in the blanket that Aidin had left behind. He had been confident, assured, always ready for the fight… But that was before the battle, before he nearly died at the hands of the dark, aided by someone he'd once called friend. Had Xehanort really wanted them to die? Did Xehanort hate them so much he could live with murder? Ven didn't know. But he understood one thing clearly. It would take a long time to heal from this. Not the wounds. Those would be gone in a blink, compared to the wounds to their hearts and souls. Ven sighed, letting his eyes linger on his 'sister's' sleeping face. Whispering to her, and to no one else, "I don't want to die…"

KHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKHKH

Do you see what's happened here? Even if they couldn't win, they broke the Chasers' spirits. Sorry for the massive angst. I read the saddest KH fanfiction ever. It dealt with suicide and death, and the ANGST just seemed to come normally after that.

I hope you all realize, at least somewhat, what is going to come. I know that they were probably OOC this chapter, as OOC as characters can be when I gave them their personalities in the first place, but they've just been destroyed body and soul by this. One more chapter, an interlude, and then into the games we go. See you all there.

Li


	13. Darkest before Dawn

**Chapter Thirteen: Darkest Before Dawn**

The dark figure crept through the early night, silent in his pursuit. Advancing on the grand house, he crept his way to the front door. He reached out, manipulating the threads of power defending it from the entry of his kind, and opened the door, slipping into the shadowy entrance hall. He looked around sharply, moving quickly through the mansion-like house to the center room that none of the inhabitants ever opened. He ventured inside, looking for the first time upon the core of the power that protected the house from the darkness.

A smirk curled his lip as he reached out to touch it. Threads of power twined around his fingers, and he set to work rearranging and altering the nature of what they did. It didn't take long. They were like putty in his hands as he wove a new spell with them. It was simple. He had been taught well.

His task complete, he hurried from the home. No need to tease away the magic at the door anymore. He almost laughed as he sped into the night. Soon, very soon, it would begin.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ven was woken from a sound sleep to what seemed to be a million stamping feet. All the Chasers had begun sleeping normally after Xehanort's betrayal, needing to keep their strength up for whatever could come their way. The Chaser of Light rubbed sleep from his eyes, blinking as his door was thrown open and Aidin and Liah raced in.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We're under attack." Aidin said tensely. Ven sat up immediately, summoning his armor and going over to them.

"How? Isn't this house protected?"

"Something has interfered with the spells." Aidin mumbled softly, seeming unwilling to explain. "It no longer keeps the darkness out." He hesitated, and both younger Chasers knew something was wrong. Aidin sighed. "It keeps us in. We're trapped here." Ven and Liah looked around horrified. Their sanctuary had become their prison. If they were overtaken in here, there would be nowhere left to run to. Aidin hugged both younger teens, before stepping back and drawing his Keyblade. "Come on. Let's fight for our home."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As they came to a halt at the top of the main stairs, all three could see the relentless pounding on the front door. It was solid, and despite the magic protecting it being gone, it was still locked and held firm. They thanked small miracles, because that lock bought them some time.

"We have to be careful." Aidin said sternly. "No mistakes. Stay together, and don't let them separate us." He turned back as the door opened with a bang, allowing the black shadows to pour in. They had been released from Kingdom Hearts when the Dark One unlocked it, and now ran rampant wherever they chose. But this… These were being led. They were too organized. It had to be…

Ven snarled with barely-suppressed rage as he caught sight of Xehanort, standing tall in the midst of his shadowy troops. The Dark One stood with him. Both held their Keyblades drawn, and with a single gesture, Xehanort directed the shadows to attack.

The Chasers found themselves fighting for their lives in a sea of darkness. It took every amount of strength they possessed. Fear and hesitation had given way to just the need to survive. They had played this game before, fighting shadows, but never quite this way. It was like an all-out war, for the shadows had a general to obey. In the midst of the clash, they heard the Dark One's laughter, followed by Xehanort raising his own voice in a wicked laugh. Liah battled her way through the shadows until they stood face to face.

He held out a hand, and the shadows nearby ceased trying to attack her and merely stood in a silent ring. Watching her carefully, he said softly, "Liah, do you understand now?"

"Xehanort, why would you do this?" She looked around frantically. Beyond the ring surrounding the two, the remaining shadows were still trying to rip Aidin and Ven limb from limb. "You'll kill them!"

"My dearest Liah…" Xehanort reached up and took his helmet off. His eyes were pleading. "You of half-Dark should see, I have found where I am accepted for the power balance I have."

"You've become a murderer." Liah hissed, unable to meet his eyes. He reached out a hand to her, and she looked up sharply in surprise.

"Please, come with me… I don't fear the darkness anymore, Liah." His small, genuine smile only served to make taking his offered hand more tempting. She found herself wishing it were that easy. She could just put her hand in his and end it all. But then she saw the Dark One out of the corner of her eyes, laughing as he urged the shadows on, and she knew it was he who had made Xehanort this way.

"No." Liah said firmly. "You've taken the wrong road." Xehanort prepared an angry response, but something caught his eye.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ven and Aidin stood back-to-back, fending off as many shadows as they could. Between attacks, Aidin finally managed to get out, "We have to get the one controlling them. If Xehanort's master dies, he might come to his senses."

Ven nodded. Aidin leaned back, whispering, "Oh three, opposite directions. We'll get him from both sides at the same time." A whispered confirmation came from Light, before both moved, leaping over the shadows and circling back around. They threw themselves towards the Dark One at the same time, in a last desperate attempt to end everything.

They caught him unaware, and he only had time to turn, locking Aidin's Keyblade against his own. But Ven's connected, striking against his unprotected back. The strike made him lose force where he was holding off Aidin, and both boys set to work. They funneled all of their hatred into every strike and slash, until nothing was left of the man but some fading wisps of darkness. Yet it seemed that they could hear his taunting voice as he faded: _You have only made an enemy you cannot defeat… My power will be his…_

Xehanort saw his master's fall, and cried out in alarm. Power flooded him, and he called on everything he had, summoning up Dark Firaga and casting it at the two. Aidin dodged, but it hit Ven dead-center, knocking him to the floor. Liah called out to him, but something told her it was too late. The Darkness had gotten to him. She ran to his side, kneeling and crying his name.

"Ven, Ven, don't leave me, please, please!" she called to him, again and again, but it was too late. She watched the glowing shape of his heart rise as his form faded away, but instead of sailing away to Kingdom Hearts, it arced out into the night and was gone.

"Aidin!" Liah gasped. "What just…"

"Like the royalty…" Aidin murmured. "He didn't die a true death… His heart is protecting itself from Darkness…"

Xehanort only stared. _Pure hearted Ven, born a girl he would have been a Princess…_ Did that mean…? No, it couldn't. He watched in a detached kind of way as Liah, seeing him as the only one to take out her anger on, ran at him. He felt the darkness in him well up, leaving him unable to control his own actions.

"You murdered my brother!" Liah shrieked, seeming to have ignored what Aidin had said. Xehanort raised a hand, a look of horror frozen on his face at his own actions. Darkness swirled, forming what appeared to be a portal, and Liah fell headlong into it and was gone.

Xehanort fell to his knees where she had been. "Oh my god, Liah… What did I do…?" He ignored Aidin as the other walked to him. "Liah, Liah, I didn't want anything to happen to _you_…"

Aidin was silent as Xehanort looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. He pointed his Keyblade at the young darkling's forehead, whispering, "Forget. Forget everything. Chasers, Keyblades, shadows. You know nothing of them." Xehanort's eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the floor. Aidin leaned down, adding, "But you will remember someday, and you will come and find me, and we shall settle this." He lifted the unconscious teen, slinging him over a shoulder and leaving the house.

A trip on the Gummi Ship later and Xehanort was left lying on the front steps of the palace at Radiant Garden. If King Ansem the Wise couldn't temper Xehanort properly, no one would be able to. Aidin himself returned to the home he and his surrogate family had shared, looking out over the dusty landscape. He took one last long glance around the broken-up, empty entrance hall. The shadows had fled when both Xehanort and the Dark One had fallen. Without a word, Aidin turned and walked away into the desert.

_Thinking of you, wherever you are…  
__I walk this road without you,  
__To remake forgotten promises,  
__And meet you at road's end.  
__I will see you again,  
__Liah…  
__Ven…_

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And so the Chasers' parts come to a close. So, Xehanort wakes up on Ansem's doorstep with no memories, Aidin heads for the Horizon Plains, and Ven and Liah are... lost. Hehe. Anyone want to guess what happened to Ven? I'll give you a hint. It happened to another character once. In the first Kingdom Hearts. Just, slightly different.

A reviewer, **sckry**, pointed out to me that Ven, Liah, and Xehanort seem to have parallels to Sora, Kairi, and Riku. While I would love to say most of it was on purpose, it was not. Liah wasn't meant to be similar to Kairi at all! She's stronger, and a better fighter. Just because she's female... As for why Ven is like Sora, that will be explained later. That part was on purpose.

Xehanort having a parallel to Riku wasn't intentional, but it fits nicely. Riku was drawn in by the darkness, just the same as Xehanort twenty years previous.

Soooo... R&R, please? Reviews make me so happy!

Li


	14. Heart

**Chapter Fourteen: Heart**

_Silence in the night, seeing as there is nothing out here in interspace there is nothing to make a sound, nothing but shadow-ships and darkling fighters and the meteors and rocks…_

_For five or six years I've existed, no body, no soul, no memory, trying to get back to the only place that I could call home away from home. The only place I might be safe from what had hurt me so. What was it? I don't remember. I lost my friends, my family, I blame the darklings…_

_A world! A world I know! Home away from home, a world of light and happiness… I will be safe here, no darkness, no nothing to come after me until I'm strong again, but I need to be whole first…_

With some form of a sense that no one could ever understand, the tiniest fragment of existence, the abandoned heart of the Strongest Heart, sailed down from interspace to the tiny, peaceful world of the Destiny Islands. It was searching, searching for something, anything, to make itself whole again. The darkness had taken its' form and its' self, leaving nothing but the heart behind. But it was one of the purest of all hearts, and it knew how to preserve itself against the darkness.

As it arced over the familiar shores of the island, it felt something. A newborn child, a boy. On nothing but instinct, the heart moved. It went to the boy. Such a young heart, easily combined with. Two hearts became one, and marked this child forever.

The mother peered into her little boy's sapphire eyes, smiling happily at her baby son. He would do great things someday. As she looked out at the blues of the sky and ocean, then back to the child's eyes, she whispered to herself, "I will name you for the sky."

The name she gave echoed in two hearts that were one, binding them permanently.

"Sora."

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Meteor and Holy… I hope this makes a little sense, at least. I can't really explain what happened, because I don't know how it works. This is effectively my thoughts rambling what I think occurred. If you know what I've done, what I'm leading up to, or anything, I'd love to hear your guesses. R&R, or even PM me. PMed reviews are sweet too. I like to talk to anyone!

Li


	15. Gulf

**Chapter Fifteen: Gulf**

Sora hurried down the dock into the darkness. The fourteen-year-old was searching for Kairi and Riku, his two friends, desperate to find them. Shadows were amassing on the little play island, and he was afraid for their raft.

As he slowed down, little bug-like shadows rose up in a circle around him, effectively trapping him. He had tried killing them with his wooden sword, but it had simply gone straight through. Now he was afraid, and something in his heart quaked with fear, but also a faint bit of strength. Like it was telling Sora, _We can do this._

He looked around at the ring of shadows, and suddenly heard another voice.

**We sent the Dive to the Heart, and it went to you! Now we see why. Our Strong Heart has fallen to shadows. But you, we don't think you are what we need. Not a Strong Heart…** The Voice then hesitated, seeming confused.** We sense within you power you should not possess. Familiar power… We shall gift you this.**

Sora's wooden sword glowed, and shifted in his hand. A long silver-and-gold key rested loosely in his grip now. He stared at it in wonder.

**Do not be afraid. You possess the strongest weapon in the world…**

"What…?" Sora whispered, shaken.

**Keyblade… Defeat the heartless shadows! Remember… You are the one who will open the door to the light…**

Sora, with movements familiar from endless times of sparring with Riku, leapt at the shadows. Heartless, they were called? He was happy to see the Keyblade destroying them, leaving things shaped like hearts behind to drift away into the sky. With renewed vigor, and an instinct he didn't know he had, he raced to find his friends, killing Heartless all the way.

When he reached the tiny island where he and Riku often sat, he saw the silver-headed boy standing there, back turned.

"Riku!"

Riku turned around, looking far from his normal self. There was something in his eyes that seemed almost evil. "The door has opened."

"What are you talking about? Riku!"

Riku ignored him, continuing, "Come with me, Sora! This is our chance, to see if there really are other worlds out there!" He held out a hand, adding in a whisper, "Don't be afraid of the dark."

The Voice erupted. **Do not go, Keyblader! He gives in to the darkness!**

Sora ignored it, reaching for Riku, if only to pull him from the abyss he was slowly sinking into. But the darkness flared, and Sora missed his hand, only able to stare in horror as Riku vanished. He fell to his knees, before looking up suddenly.

"Kairi!"

Sprinting into the secret place, he was relieved to see her standing, facing the odd door in the wall. But something was wrong. She turned to him, his name coming from her in a weak moan, before the door flew open and sent her flying towards him.

"No!" Sora threw his arms wide to catch his friend, but she vanished, as if passing right through him. Sora turned, running out of the cave as more darkness poured from the now-open door.

**The world-heart!** the Voice lamented. Again, Sora ignored it. It didn't make sense at the moment anyway. He dashed back out to the main area of the island, stopping in terror as a gigantic Heartless rose from the sand. He had seen it before, in his dream.

_Dive to the Heart._ The feeling was there again, like someone looking after him. Sora could imagine someone smiling, as it continued, _We can defeat this. No bigger than in the dream. And we have the Keyblade. What is there to stop us?_

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Mwahahahahaha! Hope you all enjoy one of the only Sora-centric chapters I'm doing! This is not really Sora's story. We know Sora's story. So this will be for the lesser known tales. "Another Side, Another Story" and all that...

Just as a warning to you all: When I reach everybody's favorite red and blond-haired bishies, AKA Axel and Roxas, there WILL be shounen-ai. Yes? If you do not like this, I'm sorry. Ignore it, stop reading, I don't care. Or you can join me and my friends in celebrating the ONLY pairing close to being labled canon. SoraxKairi? Hinted. RikuxSora? Subtley hinted. RoxasxNamine? Possible. AkuRoku? Practically hurled into your face. Come on, people! NO ONE is that close, unless... And all the beautifully mushy "He made me feel like I had a heart" stuff. Shounen-ai to the ninth degree! (must stop tirade...)

Anyway, I just don't want flames saying "You suck Axel's not gay you stupid moron". Flames will be given to Axel to use with his chakrams, which will then be thrown at you. Thanks!

Hugs from a true AkuRoku fangirl,  
Li


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